Continuing advances in computer hardware and software have enabled the construction of increasingly complex virtual realities. In fields as varied as video gaming, computer-assisted drafting (CAD), and molecular modeling, virtual realities immerse their visitors in true-to-life, three-dimensional, graphical environments. Constructing such environments is not a trivial undertaking; it requires the work of artists using specialized content-creation tools. Using such tools, the artists create data assets readable by one or more end-use applications—video game applications, client applications, and the like. These data assets enable the end-use application to render the graphical environment on a display.
When large or highly detailed graphical environments are created, the procedures referred to above may involve processing vast amounts of data. Using current technologies, they may require a significant commitment of server resources and even then be undesirably time-consuming.